I Belong to You
by WolfsbaneStorm5023
Summary: Takes place after the golden army. The team has returned to the BPRD, and a shapeshifter girl joins them; but how will it effect the team when she falls for a certain Abe Sapien? Worse yet, how will Abe react when he's still harboring a broken heart, and the new girl keeping one of her own? AbeXOC, LizXRed
1. Prologue

**Hey! I know the title sucks, but it's the best I could come up with. So, I came up with this out of the deepest, darkest pits of my mind, so it's bound to be good! Only the best fanfic's come from there! So, I think that's about it. See you at the end of the chappie!**

**I only own Emily.**

**Prologue**

"It's nice to finally meet you, Mr. Manning. You're not an easy man to find." she spoke as they walked down the hall of the BPRD base.

"And the same to you, Miss...?" "

Jansen. Emily Jansen." She smiled, holding out her hand to be shaken. Nervously, he took the outstretched hand and shook it briefly.

"So, for what reason have you contacted us? It's not every day that we're called by a mysterious girl with no explanation as to why."

"Well, I'd like to apply for a job, sir. It's my understanding that you recruit people with special abilities."

"Your understanding is correct, but, if I may be so bold, what abilities could you possibly possess that would make you think that you could just come here and get a job just like that?" he asked, snapping his fingers. She smiled slyly at the man, stating,

"I think it would be easier if I could _show_you."

**~Magical time lapse~**

As Emily and Thomas walked down the training hall, their passage was blocked by a large mass.

"Hey, Tom. Who's your friend?"

"Agent Hellboy, this is Emily. She's applying for a job at the agency. If she's really as special as she says, she'll be working with you. Emily, this is agent Hellboy, he-"

"Oh my gosh, it's really _you!_ I'm such a big fan, Mister Hellboy!" Both men were taken aback at her sudden change from serious soon-to-be agent to fangirl. "Your work in the BPRD is what inspired me to come here! Granted, I've been looking for about two years, but it's an honor to work with you!" Thomas shook his head,

"_If_ you get the job, Ms. Jansen. You still need to prove your abilities to the bureau."

"Oh, yes, of course. When can we start the testing?"

"As soon as we reach the testing room."

"Mind if I come? I wanna see what this kids' got." Red laughed.

"Really?" Emily asked excitedly. He laughed at her enthusiasm,

"Sure, you seem pretty confident. Why not?"

**Okay, so I got a bit more carried away than I'd hoped, but this isn't all I got, I warn you. As much as I hate to, I gotta get of the computer. I've got…um…stuff to do! Yeah, that's it. Anyway, see you next time**


	2. Testing

**I only own Emily.**

"Alright, Emily. We're gonna throw a lot of things at you, and you have to use your talents to fight back." Red spoke into the mike. The green-haired girl nodded at the one-way glass, and heard beeps counting down to one, and several droids came down from the ceiling.

Emily jumped twenty-something feet into the air and disappeared, another droid taking her place. Thomas, Red, and several scientists looked on, each wondering where she had gone. The droid that had appeared in her place began to shoot the other droids, effectively destroying them. The remaining droid shifted back into the young girl. She dropped back to the floor in a series of flips and twists and smiled at the window,

"Is that all you got?" And the onlookers' jaws dropped. Thomas pressed a button, and the room shifted around her, turning into a dry savannah. A wall opened up, and a strong, graceful lioness padded out.

"Tom, don't you think that's a bit extreme? She looks about sixteen years old." Red commented, and was answered with a simple,

"No." Emily shifted once again, this time becoming another lioness. The two cats circled, and five minutes later, Emily stood an unconscious lion beside her. She picked up the body and carried it back to the wall.

When she found no hole, the spectators watched as her arm bulked up and she pried the door open, placing the body inside. She pulled it back into place, straightening it out as best she could. She looked back at the window, smirking. Red pulled out a walky-talky and pressed a button, talking into the speaker,

"Liz? Get Abe and meet me at training room seven. There's something I want you two to see."

Liz and Abe arrived, and two hours of training later, Emily looked at the window again, still smiling. Scenario after scenario, she'd handled each with flying colors, transforming into items or creatures as they became necessary.

"Emily, you're in. No way can we let you get away." The team smiled at the beaming, wild-eyed girl in the training room. She climbed the stairs and opened the door to the observatory. Liz took a liking to the girl, speaking up as soon as the door had closed,

"Welcome to the team, Emily. My name is Elisabeth, but you can call me Liz, and that's Abe over there." She smiled, pointing to Abe. Abe, slightly awestruck by the girl (But more so by his inability to read her), asked quietly,

"Emily, I should warn you, this is very dangerous work, and you're only a teenager, so-"

"Fooled you, didn't I? Abe, I may not look it, but I'm twenty-eight years old. I stopped ageing physically at seventeen." She giggled. At this, most of the people in the room either gasped or stared wide-eyed at her.

"But can't you take the form of your real age?" Liz asked, surprised as the rest. She shifted into an older version of herself before answering, "Of course, but holding this form takes all of my concentration. It's easier to change when it's something other than me." She transformed back into her original body. Thomas spoke now, smiling, yet with a concerned look in his eyes,

"Now, Emily, there's the matter of where you'll be staying. We prefer that agents with special abilities live here at the BPRDHQ, but you have the option to stay in your current home if you want."

"No! Um…, I mean, I would prefer to stay here, if that's alright." Emily answered quickly. Abe looked at the girl suspiciously, commenting,

"I can show you to a room if you like." Emily smiled at the icthyo sapien,

"Thanks." And with that, she lifted a black backpack with silver and purple peace signs on it and a small, black, rectangular case and followed Abe out the door.

As they walked down the hall, Abe voiced an earlier question,

"Why didn't you want to stay in your own home?" Emily, taken aback by the question, stammered her answer.

"I-I just hated it there. I just had to get out. I couldn't let it keep happening." She said matter-of-factly. Abe looked at her questioningly.

"Let _what_ keep happening?" He asked, surprised by his abnormal assertiveness. She started to frown, "Let _Him_ keep happening," she started, looking at Abe, "I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone else, ever." He looked at the determination in the watery grey eyes of the girl, and nodded, stating,

"I promise" She smiled,

"I was living with my boyfriend. We'd been dating for a few months, and He seemed nice for the first few days after I moved in, but then he'd start getting drunk at night, and he got more violent, and he'd start hitting me. When I'd try to leave, he'd cry and say he was sorry and couldn't live without me, so being the mush I am, I'd always go back.

"One month ago, I found out I was pregnant. I was hoping this baby would stop the violence, and we could be a family. But when I told him, he kicked at my stomach for two hours, and the baby died. That was the last straw. I'd been living in an alley with some people who understood, and treated me like family. Soon after I found out where the BPRD is, he found me, and dragged me, kicking and screaming, back to his house. I packed my bag and boarded the train from Minnesota last night. I got here just this morning." They continued to walk, he noticed she was holding back a few tears. _She's brave, _Abe thought, _she doesn't give herself enough credit._

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to dump all this on you when we just met." She stared straight ahead, cold and unfeeling.

"It's alright. I'm sorry for the pain he's caused." Abraham spoke fervently. They stopped in a hallway next to two separate doors, and Abe spoke again,

"This will be your room. I'm right next door if you need anything." Emily looked up at Abe, looking deep into his eyes. Behind a thin curtain of solitude, she could see into his heart. There she saw a glow of friendship, and the dimness of heartbreak, and though she didn't know who the girl was, she said the words to Abe in a voice that spoke straight to his soul,

"She was very lucky to have someone as nice as you, Abe." And just before she stepped into the room, she stood up on her tip-toes and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

T**o be honest, I didn't expect it to go that far this fast. But then again, how better to get the ball rolling? So, tell me what you think? Thanks!**


	3. Trip to the library

**It has been brought to my attention that I 'Clump'. That is, I don't put spaces between paragraphs in which people are talking. I apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you for pointing it out. So, let's get started, shall we?**

****I only own Emily.****

normal  
>"Talking"<br>_Thinking  
><em>**(Authors Note)**

Abe touched his cheek gently, feeling it warm slightly beneath his skin, the blue lightening to the color of a storm cloud. He smiled softly, which was as wide as he could. **(He can't smile, for those of you who forgot, but I took authorial liscence and made him able to smile a little bit)**He walked from the hall to the door leading to his room and went inside.

~WITH EMILY~

She stood, back to the door, and sighed. She had seen the heartbreak, and instantly felt bad for kissing him. She looked around the room. There was a bed, laid out with thick green blankets, and a nightstand with a lamp and an alarm clock. On the far wall, there was a desk and a drawing board. She set her backpack at the foot of her bed and sat on the bed with the black case. She flicked open the case and assembled a silver flute. Note by note, she played the melody to 'Angel of Music' from 'The Phantom of the Opera'. Even through the two-foot-thick steel walls, the sweet sound could be heard all through the building. Some people came and sat outside her door to listen. About half an hour later, she stepped outside to find about twenty people crammed into the narrow hallway. Each tried to escape from the hall in one of two directions, cramming the hall even tighter. When all the people cleared out, Abe opened his door and saw Emily looking down the other hall. She jumped in surprise when she saw him, gasping, and then smiling at the stupidity of her needless fear.

"Was that you, playing just now?" Abraham asked. She smiled modestly, looking away and nodding.

"Just something I picked up a few years back." she was still blushing. Before another word could be spoken, Emily remembered her question. "Oh! Abe, is there a library nearby? I need to catch up on my reading."

"Just down the hall from here. I can show you if you'd like." and he offered his hand. She politely took it and followed him down the hall to a large wooden door. Abraham pushed open the heavy door to reveal an immense library.

"Oh my God, this is amazing!" Abe gave his little half-smile again, watching her grab novels and reference books, stories and encyclopedias of mythological creatures. When she was finished, she was at a table surrounded by books, turning the pages every third second. Abe just watched her, and two hours later, she returned all the books to there proper places and started a new stack.

At some point, he sat down at the table in the chair next to her.

"Do you ever feel like you read too much?" He asked. She paused, looked up, and gave him an are-you-stupid look.

"Abraham, there is no such thing as reading too much. If there was, I would have surpassed the limit by the time I was twelve." She smiled, noticing the look on his face, "And something tells me so would you." He nodded, picking up three of the books she was done with, opening them all to the first page. _Hm._ She thought, _A multitasker._

She smiled like it was totally normal and returned to her books, flipping page after page, memorizing facts so fast she nearly tore the pages. Glance Dragons are mainly found in Boivia. Kappas can be tricked by bowing to them. Stories and bits of information flew through her mind like a twister. She smirked at a picture of a few weaker demons, capable of possession of humans only, until they were inside, then they would mutate the body into a grotesque figure, turning them inside out. She shuddered at the thought, then finished the page and turned to an article about Arsenic Pixies.

She finished the book, carefully putting each back on its proper shelf. Emily looked at the last book in her hands. It was a copy of _Romeo and Juliet_, rewritten to be more book than play. She hugged it to her chest, heading for the door. She turned to wave to Abraham.

"See ya later, Abe!" I called. He looked up from the book and waved, smiling a bit. She felt a blush coming, so I quickly left so he wouldn't see.


	4. First mission

**I ONLY OWN EMILY **

I sat on the green bedspread, smiling to myself. _Abe's so nice_, I thought. _A little to polite for my taste, but really nice._ I felt my smile dim a bit. _Maybe under different circumstances…_ My mind told me. _No._ I thought back, _No more men. That's the last thing I need right now…_ I brought my knees to my chest. _He wouldn't want me, anyway. I'm _damaged goods_. He deserves someone better. _I realized what I was thinking and jumped up, standing on the bed.

"That's no way to think!" I said out loud, "How _dare_ you sit here and feel sorry for yourself! Today is a new day in a new city with a new set of friends! Time to get out there and seize it!" I yelled.

"Uh, Em?" said a voice from the door. My eyes wandered to the entryway to se Liz standing there. I could feel my blush as I jumped high in the air, flaunting my powerful legs, and landed crouched on the floor.

"Uh, What's up, Liz?" I asked

"Well, Manning wants us in the map room. Apparently there's been some strange activity in northeast Scotland. Probably nothing, but they want us to take a look." I stood from my crouched position, grabbing my black overcoat and following her down the hall.

Finally, we reached a room with a 3-D map of the Scottish Highlands in the middle.

"… Lots of sightings, Oh! Agent Sherman, Agent Jansen, perfect timing." Said Mr. Manning. A large suit stood next to him, only a fine mist exposed by the glass head.

"Agent Jansen, meet Johann Kraus." I moved across the room and shook his hand

"A pleasure, Agent Jansen." He said in a thick German accent. Before I could reply, three figures started moving across the map. A closer look revealed three alien dog looking things.

"Wendigo." I whispered. Johann looked at me.

"That's right. How did you know that?"

"I saw them in a book on native American mythology in the library." I admitted. "They're described as giants with hearts of ice. Sometimes they were believed to be completely made of Ice. They obsess over eating human flesh." I looked up, feeling the horror on my face, making my voice grow quieter. "They are never satisfied. They're the embodiments of greed and gluttony. They won't stop."

"Okay then." Hellboy stated, "Sounds like we're set. Let's move out." The rest of the team started moving. I followed closely behind, jumping on Hellboy's back.

"What the hell?" He exclaimed.

"I'm too tired for this shit. Carry me?" He rolled his eyes, but did not remove me from his back.

We entered a large helicopter, and he dropped me on a bench, sitting to my right. Abe took the seat to my left, and Liz across from us. I looked out a window as we took off, and eventually dozed off.

When I first woke up, the first thing I noticed was a slight warmth on my left shoulder. I looked up to see Abe, then recognized my position; I was leaning on him. I could feel a blush coming on and shifted it away before it could reach my cheeks.

"Thanks." I mumbled, not looking him in the eyes. I could feel those penetrating eyes looking at me.

"You're welcome." He said quietly. I looked up to see the others had left.

"Where'd everybody go?"

"They went off to find the wendigo's. We were put in a team, so I decided to wait until you woke up."

"Shit! My first day and I'm already sleeping on the job! How long was I asleep after they left?" I started clipping my belt of weapons around my waist. It hung slack off to the right.

"Only about five minutes"

"Best get to it, then." I jumped out the door, landing softly on the grass. Abe followed not long after, but I was already about fifty meters ahead, running off into the woods. Abe was not far behind, his lean and muscular build letting him catch up with ease. "We shouldn't have let Red and Liz go off alone." I told him.

"They can handle themselves." He tried to reassure me.

"You don't get it. Wendigo are vicious. The mind can't comprehend its pure size and stature. They're fast, faster than the human eye can follow. Smart, too. Smarter than most humans. And they love to scare their prey, stalking them for long periods of time. But that's not the worst reason Liz and Hellboy are on there own."

"Then why?" He asked. I took a deep breath.

"Wendigo have particular favorites in food; the soft skin of women, the muscles of men, which puts them both in extreme danger, then there's the fat of children and the bones of the elderly, but I doubt that's much to worry about." I said, worrying about Hellboy's gigantic biceps.

We stopped running in a small grassy clearing, pausing to catch our breaths.

"Can you tell me_ exactly_ what we're up against? Abilities, weaknesses, anything?" He asked. I stood straight, breathing heavy, and began to pace.

"It has full dominion over it's territory, and works best in snow and ice. All of its senses are increased. Some monstrologists believe they have some sort of infrared vision. They can track a scent for kilometers at a time, distance doesn't really matter. They're really strong; Even Hellboy wouldn't stand a chance. It can hear its prey's heartbeat from miles away. Dagger-like and needle sharp claws and teeth have been described as icicles. It can mimic human voices, and it will travel with other predators in the forest. It's somehow attuned to every molecule in its territory. I wouldn't be surprised if they were coming for us right now."

"And how do we beat it?"

"Any protective amulet or charm would be helpful." I pulled out the dagger I kept in my sock. "Pure silver; the only thing really lethal to it. But, the only way for it to _stay_ dead is complicated and would involve carrying around corpses."

As I explained this, a sickly sweet scent began to permeate the air. My eyes widened again. "Cover your nose! Don't breathe!" I grabbed his arm and ran perpendicular to the wind, shifting my nose into that of our prey. Once the disgusting odor was gone, I stopped and released his arm.

"What's wrong? Why did we run?"

"That was Wendigo Fever. One whiff and you basically go crazy. There's no time to explain, we have to find Hellboy and Liz." I took a short sniff, catching the distinctive scent of cigars that followed Hellboy around. "This way." I took his hand again and walked in the direction of the smell.

"How do you know so much about these creatures?" Abe asked. I sighed, reluctant to explain.

"When I was a little girl, something killed my mother. I don't know what, but it wasn't human. My mom was an expert on monstrology, basically the small-town version of the Bureau.

"She taught me everything she knew, because she knew about my powers, and knew how hard it would be for me. When she was murdered, I devoted my life to the study of monsters. Myths, legends, folklore, it all existed to some extent." I looked at him. "I found out what killed my mom. It was a Wendigo." I looked straight ahead again. "It was going to come for me. A silver bullet saved me that night. That and this, anyway." I pulled out my amulet. It was a small circle of brass, a stone with swirling colors in the center.

"I never go anywhere without it." I confided, "My essentials list consists of this, a silver dagger, and a pistol with six silver bullets." I opened my jacket to reveal a small pistol and smirked at him.

A small bird passed overhead, springing an idea into my head. I looked back at him. "Abe, you trust me?" I asked. He looked at me, giving me a light smile. I groaned as my shoulder blades extended, spreading my skin, sprouting feathers. Flapping like mad, I began to lift off the ground, pulling Abe with me. I readjusted him so I wouldn't rip his arm from the socket and pulled off the ground.

"Emily, are we being followed?" Good, so I wasn't the only one with that feeling.

"It's on our trail. We have to get into the air." I pulled up even more, leaving the treetops behind. I felt my muscles bulk up to carry Abe's weight.

"We have to find Red and Liz." He reminded me. I nodded, adding Wendigo sight to my roster of changes. A flash of red about two hundred meters ahead alerted me to there position.

"Six hundred feet, dead ahead." I announced, nodding at the red speck.

"We've got company." He told me, looking down. I followed his eyes to see two monstrous yet spindly wolves following us, crashing through trees.

**How about that, huh? A few months off, then a nice long chappie. Anyway, it's one thirty in the morning, so Imma go to bed now. Night!**

**The website where I found out about the wendigo is called Monstropedia**


	5. Wendigo Encounter

_**I only own Emily.**_

_"We have to find Red and Liz." He reminded me. I nodded, adding wendigo sight to my roster of changes. A flash of red about two hundred meters ahead alerted me to there position._

_"Six hundred feet, dead ahead." I announced, nodding at the red speck._

_"We've got company." He told me, looking down. I followed his eyes to see two monstrous yet spindly wolves following us, crashing through trees_

I groaned.

"Abe, grab my pistol." I told him. He reached up carefully, pulling the little silver handgun from my pocket.

"I'm not a very good shot." He warned me. I could feel my inner bitch coming out to play.

"Abe, I'd do it myself if I didn't have my hands full of _fishman!_" my attitude was beginning to rear its ugly head and tried to suppress it. "Just take the damn shot!"

His first one missed by a mile; the second was a lucky shot, hitting one of the creatures between the eyes. I would have cheered if I wasn't so superstitious, so I decided to try not and break his lucky streak. Apparently, it was already broken.

The first creature fell behind after the head shot, and Abe had fired off the remaining four before it had a chance to catch up, hitting the remaining Wendigo twice; once in the hand and once in the shoulder. One bullet had grazed its rib, but could hardly be called a hit. It didn't hinder the wendigo's' pursuit, but I could see the ice-blue blood oozing from its wounds.

I could also see Red and Liz fighting another of the creatures. I folded my wings, making a death spiral into the clearing where they were fighting. Red threw the creature over him, barely dodging the attack. The smell of singed fur told me Liz had been burning them. I rolled my eyes at her method. Though it would work for just about any other monster, it would just make these guys angry.

I felt my legs move on there own, running into battle, dagger in hand.

I stabbed at the monster, driving my dagger into its chest. Too low for a heart shot, but I was sure I'd at least hit a lung. The wendigo howled in pain, jumping back.

It was then that the Wendigo that had been following Abe and I showed up, its wounded friend also returning.

"You guys got any silver?" I asked. Hellboy pulled out a dagger not unlike my own, but Abe and Liz had nothing. I sighed in frustration. "Okay, just do your best to dodge it. Red, go for the heart. The only way to kill it is to shatter its heart of ice." He only nodded before launching himself at it. I slashed at the wendigo in front of me, leaving one for Abe and Liz too distract.

Obviously, I'd underestimated Hellboy's abilities, because by the time I'd looked over my shoulder again, he was plunging the dagger into the wendigo's heart. I smiled as he took on the other and I focused on my own. I pulled the dagger across its face, the blue blood exuding from its almost-healed cuts. I watched as it came at me again, preparing to strike again. I ducked down as it jumped overhead, pulling my blade down the length of its chest. It gave a wolfish scream. Red had taken care of the remaining wendigo, and was now coming for mine.

"No!"

The four of us stared at the creature. I was freaked out now.

"Did, did you just _talk_?" I stuttered. It rolled its eyes in annoyance.

"Of _course_I talked. I have an intellect that could rival that of Albert Einstein, mastering a human dialect is simple."

"No, I knew that much, I just hadn't thought you could get over your insane bloodlust long enough to hold a God damn conversation." I told it. It rolled its eyes again.

"I'm just about ready to go back into hibernation: I'll last for a minute or two before I go wild again." The others were staring at me, dumbfounded that I was conversing with the beast. It was my turn to roll my eyes.

"If you're so ready, why not do it now?" I asked; a minute or two was not a lot of time to lure it into a false sense of security.

"Because, this is not my territory."

"Em, what's she talking about?" Liz asked from ten feet away.

"Wendigo are native to Canada, around Quebec and Ontario. Someone must have moved them here." I groaned. In one swift motion, I had my dagger at its neck. "Give me one good reason not to kill you right now." It looked at me, trying to deceive me with puppy eyes.

"Because I'll just go into hibernation. I won't be a threat then." He was mimicking the voice of a small, scared child. Looking at the face of the hideous monster, it wasn't a very convincing argument. I glared at it, alerting it to my annoyance. It sighed. "I only want the girl, anyway." Liz gasped, and Red stepped forward.

"You son of a bi-" I cut him off,

"Red, stop." My eyes turned from Red to the monster. "Why do you only want her?"

"The blue man smells of fish, and the remaining two in your group are only half human." Damn wendigo didn't know how to keep a secret.

It couldn't be allowed to live. Sad as the situation was, even if it did go into hibernation, it would just wake up hungry. Without listening to another word of his argument, I plunged my dagger into the heart, feeling the ice shatter around the silver blade.

I pulled the dagger from its chest, and undid a button on my tool belt, releasing a length of rope. I tied it around its neck, cutting it at each third.

"Hellboy, can you take those two?" I asked, gesturing to the two other corpses.

"Uh, Em? They're dead. Done for. We don't need to lug around the dead weight." He told me. I rolled my eyes in irritation.

"They won't stay dead if we don't follow procedure." I handed Liz a rolled up piece of paper I kept with me at all times. "If we don't follow these instructions to the letter, these wendigo will be resurrected and come for us, resulting in our bloody deaths."

Hellboy was about to argue, but I stopped him.

"I can't take out the shards here. Other wendigo might be around, and we'd be sitting ducks." I grabbed a stick, handing it to Liz. "Light it. It can temporarily ward off other wendigo. We have to get back to the chopper, fast."

The sun was setting. I dragged the corpse through the brush, ignoring everyone's stares. They followed, Hellboy carrying the remaining wiry corpses. I listened to there whispers, rolling my eyes at the sound of my name.

Once we were safely in the helicopter, they confronted me.

"Em, why did that thing say the other _two_ were half human?" Liz said, being the annoying initiator to this uncomfortable conversation, "You and I are both full human, Abe isn't at all, and Red is half human."

"Yeah, checked your gene pool lately?" Red asked unkindly. Liz smacked his arm. I rolled my eyes.

"That wendigo was old. His mind was probably going, along with his sense of smell."

"Emily…"

"Fine. So I'm half human. So what? Why does this matter so much?" I was extremely irritated. Damn that wendigo.

Abe set a comforting hand on my leg. "We don't care whether you're all, half, or none at all. We just want you to be honest with us." I looked up at Abe, smiling. His eyes were _so warm_.

"Thanks." Damn you, Abe, setting my heart off like a firework! Red interrupted the perfect moment in natural Hellboy style.

"That being said, what is your other half exactly?" I sighed, looking at him. I let my body shift to resemble the other half of my gene pool. The lower half of my body grew into a snake tail, my eyes shifting to be snakelike as well. I rolled my eyes at his next comment. "So, you're half snake?"

"_Naga_, Red, naga. Well, actually, being female, the correct term is Naginis." I let my body change back to its normal shape. I could tell they wanted further information, but decided not to press the issue. A wise choice on their part; I was to irritated to answer any questions right now.


	6. Books and Nightmares

**I only own Emily**

"_Goodnight, Precious." My mom said, kissing my forehead. Her hand grazed the pistol on my bed table before she walked outside. As she closed my door, I heard a scream. A disgusting growl could be heard from behind my door, alongside the tearing of fabric and flesh. I reached for the pistol as the door opened. A great ugly thing, alien in appearance, stepped into my room. I pulled back the hammer on the gun and fired. The gun clicked, but otherwise, nothing happened. I tried this several other times as the white giant stepped toward me. I felt my eyes start to water and overflow. I was going to die. I wailed. "Mom! Mom, it's gonna get me!" _

I thrashed in the sheets, feeling hands on my arms.

"Emily! Emily, wake up!" My eyes snapped open. Abe was hunched over me, his eyes worried. Before I could stop myself, I shot up and clung to him for dear life, like if I let go, I would fall back into that dream.

I refused to let the tears fall. I couldn't let anyone see me in a fragile state, not even Abe. He sat next to me, holding me up. Taking deep breaths, I slowly got a grip on reality, loosening my hold on Abe's shirt sleeve. I moved away but refused to look at him.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his voice gentle. I took a deep breath and noticed that he had a musky sea salt smell I couldn't get enough of.

"I'll be okay." I told him. "Just, hold me?" He pulled me close again. I felt so weak, but what was I gonna do? Push him away? No, I was going to hold him like a security blanket and let the comforting scent of sea salt help me pretend I was somewhere far away.

Before I knew what I was doing, I was dragging him down with me, slowly falling back into a deep sleep.

When I woke up, I felt Abe's arms curled around me. If he was awake, he was better at hiding it than I was. I relaxed into him, ignoring all thoughts that didn't have to do with him.

How had I let him get this close? Ever since the ordeal with my mom, I'd locked people out. When I did let them in, I only got hurt, every damn time. And when I get hurt, I hurt them back.

Abe, however, had broken down all my defenses. I wanted desperately to trust him. I just didn't know if I could.

I sighed, looking at him.

"Abe. Time to wake up, big guy." I watched his eyes open and he realized the compromising position we were in. He sat up and pulled his arms away with fluid and graceful movements.

"My apologies. I-"

"It's okay." He turned back to me, his cheeks revealing a small blush, barley noticeable against the blue of his skin. The normal human eye probably wouldn't have picked it up; thankfully, I wasn't a normal human. I glanced at the clock.

"God! We've been asleep nearly half the day!" I jumped out of bed as simply as I could manage. I was used to flaunting my God-given leg muscles.

A quick glance at Abe revealed that he had also stood. I could only smirk; he was still blushing. I followed him out the door, deciding to tag along.

Several hallways and two elevator rides later, we were in a giant room full of books and artifacts. I curled up in a chair, picking up a book, which turned out to be a copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Abraham climbed a latter and jumped into a huge tank, swimming between books. Before long I was wrapped up in the genius that was the work of J. K. Rowling. When I felt as though I was walking through the walls of Hogwarts, I heard a hollow tap. My eyes glanced up to see Abe taping the glass of his tank.

"Can you turn the pages?" I smirked and rolled my eyes, dragging my chair so I could sit between the four books on stands. From where I sat, I could turn the pages of all four. When one book reached an end, I replaced it with another. When I finished my book, I'd pick up one of the ones Abe had finished. I smiled. I could honestly say I was happier than I had ever been. Better than the content I'd settled for so long.

For the first time in my life, I was thankful to be abnormal.

**REVIEW! I COMMAND YOU!**


	7. A Tantrum and a cute face

**Let's get the ball rolling, shall we?**

**I only own Emily**

I opened my eyes just a crack, the world around me coming into focus slowly. I'd fallen asleep to 'Hunchback of Notre Dame', Leaving Abe to turn his own pages. I could still hear his voice.

Wait, not a memory. He was talking. I let my hearing become more powerful instead of straining to catch his words.

"…can't read her. It's like she's _blocking me out_ somehow." _It's my specialty_ I thought.

"Well, Abe, I don't know what to tell you. If it bothers you that much, why not ask her about it?" Go, Liz!

"I wouldn't dare." Damn it! Well, best drop the act now. Well, part of it anyway. I stretched and yawned, alerting them that I was awake.

"Wouldn't dare what?" I gave Liz a look, hoping she'd get the message. She gave a slight nod.

"Abe wants to ask you something." She gave him a light push. He looked back at her with distain (At which she rolled her eyes) and sighed, walking toward me.

"Emily, I have… extrasensory abilities, and I'm bothered by the fact that I can't seem to get a reading on you." I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"I'm gonna need to know more than_ that_ to give you a direct answer." I told him matter-of-factly. He looked taken aback. "What kind of extrasensory abilities? Are you psychic or something?" I clarified.

"Psychometric. Token-object reading. Most of the time, I can read a person before they introduce themselves. But it concerns me, because I can't do that with you. It's like you've put up a wall I can't break through." I smiled, hiding how surprised I was.

"Don't worry about it, Abe. Locking people out is what I do best." Flashing a bright smile, I strode out of the room quickly to hide my tears.

When I reached my room, the wave of salty droplets had overflowed. I collapsed behind my door, locking it. No one could see me like this.

_I want to trust him._ I thought. _I want to give him that. So why can't I? Why can't I just let go!" _I stood, picking up a table and throwing it across the room. My frustration with myself fueled my adrenalin-filled rage. I threw myself against a wall, punching it until my knuckles bled. I hated myself. I wanted to curl up and die and avoid all this.

_How did I give myself away so easily before, and when I find the one person who I know won't break me, I feel the most fragile?_ I collapsed onto the bed, sobbing away the adrenalin. _I'm so selfish. _Why was I sitting here falling sorry for myself? I wanted to give myself away, but I couldn't do that.

Calming down, I looked at my hands . The cuts would be easily healed, the blood could be washed away, but they would always be there in the back of my mind. I catalogued it with the rest of the wounds I'd received thorough my life as I melded the skin together; multiplying skin cells and growing them into place before the scar tissue could set in. Sighing, I grabbed my black overcoat and hurried out the door, running into a very confused Johan Krauss.

"Agent Jansen. Where are you going?" I shook my head, giving him a believable smile.

"I'm just going out for coffee." I headed for the door. Luck was not on my side; I understood that when I brushed past Abe on my way out.

"Emily, I-" the door closed before he finished his sentence.

**xX Le Timeskip Xx**

The drink was warm in my hands; Half Irish cream, half coffee, just the way I like it. I took a sip and smiled. Why couldn't it always be this simple? One hand in my pocket, a coffee in the other; just another face in the crowd. This was the life I'd chosen, but if I were to go back, knowing all I do now, would I have chosen differently? Would I have called the police that night instead of the monsterologists my mother knew? I sighed into the crisp fall morning. _No,_ I told myself, _painful as it's been, my choices made me strong. _Of course, I would have been more careful about whom I trusted. I shook my head, clearing it. _I'm such a sob story._

A small whine took my thoughts away. I looked into a dark alley, the whine coming through again. I touched my dagger (Now in my coat pocket; Socks were so far away) before stepping into the alleyway. There was a rustle beside me and I pulled the weapon, pointing it at… nothing. I looked down to see a brown paper bag wriggling on the stone. Tentatively, I picked up the bag, and a puppy with azure fur rolled out. It looked at me and yipped, giving me a lopsided smile. I laughed at the creature, setting down my coffee and picking it up.

"Aren't you cute?" I asked him. It was a him. I checked. The dog barked and unfurled two blue wings. I smirked. "It takes a lot more than that to impress me, big guy." He tilted his head curiously. I smiled at him, bending to pick up my coffee.

**xX Le Timeskip Xx**

I managed to get him into the building undetected, but a run-in with Hellboy blew my cover.

"Who's this little guy?" He asked, seeming stunned.

"I'm not sure. He hasn't got a collar, so I decided to keep him."

"Manning won't like it."

"Screw Manning. Besides, if you get a bazillion cats, I can have one flying dog." He rolled his eyes, scratching said dog's head. With a smile, he walked back to the library-artifacts-tank room from earlier. Abe was sitting in the chair I'd slept in, flipping through the pages of a book. He looked up to see us and stood quickly.

"Emily!" I arched an eyebrow. I felt Red roll his eyes.

"You left in such a hurry, he was freaked out that you weren't coming back." Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. I walked up and punched Abe lightly in the shoulder.

"Don't be stupid. You ain't getting rid of me that easily." I pulled him into a hug, which he returned easily. I looked back at Red, Rolling my eyes again and pulling him in to hug us.

Two cute blue guys in my life. Never saw that one coming.

**Yay cuteness! Yay flying puppies! Now REVIEW! :D**


	8. Lots of names and a funeral

**I only own Emily and the dog.**

**Warning!: Some facts about the monsters and myths may have been twisted, guessed, or changed to work into the story. That or I couldn't find them. NOT ALL INFORMATION WILL BE MYTHOLOGICALLY CORRECT! But feel free to ask questions! ^.^**

"It's called Ha-Inu, or 'Winged Dog'." I said, typing on the computer. We'd been researching the blue wolf-looking dog for a while now. Little had turned up besides a myth about a dog that belonged to a samurai. "The animal's roots can be traced to Japan, possibly in the Edo period."

"So, have you decided on a name?" Liz asked, playing with the winged pup on the floor.

"Shou."

"_Show_?"

"S-H-O-U. It's a Japanese name that means 'fly' or 'soar'." Liz smirked at my little joke. I pushed away from the computer and sat on the bed. Shou jumped up on my lap, licking my face. I laughed as Abe and Hellboy walked into the room.

"Any word on the little guy?" Hellboy asked, leaning on a nearby wall.

"Originated from myth, as per usual with our lives. His name is Shou." I told them. Liz let them in on the joke and they chuckled. The four of us chatted for a while longer before we were interrupted by a knock on the door. Johann was standing at the door.

"Agents, we have a situation."

**xX Le Timeskip Xx**

A boy with long lavender hair sat in the archive (I decided to call the big room the archive. So much easier than 'the book/artifact/tank' room.) He wore a pair of jeans and nothing else. He held his eyes on me, almost adoringly.

_Oh no._

"Emily!" He cried, jumping up and hugging me. I rolled my eyes and wrapped my arms around him.

"Good to see you too, Mirza." I could feel the eyes of the team on my back. I also felt Mirza's hand leave my back to wave. I let him go and faced the trio, one hand still on his shoulder. "Guys, this is my half-brother, Mirza. He's my father's son." Mirza's legs turned into a long royal purple serpent's tail, the jeans practically exploding off of him. I laughed. I couldn't read Abe's face, Liz smirked and Hellboy, well, I'm not sure what that face was supposed to be. It was a combination of disinterested and interested, if that makes any sense. I looked at Mirza, who was eyeing Abe. I lightly smacked his shoulder so he looked at me.

"Emily, you have to come home right now." He spoke with an uncharacteristic bleakness.

"Why, what's going on?"

"It's father."

And that was how we ended up on a plain to India. Just Mirza, Abe, Shou and I.

**xX Le Timeskip Xx**

"So what exactly happened to Dad?" I asked, scratching Shou behind the ear.

"A churel happened to him."

"Oh you've _got_ to be kidding me. So the old man's promiscuity finally got him in trouble." I stated, unsurprised.

For those of you who don't know, a Churel is a spirit of sorts. If a woman dies A) While pregnant, B) in childbirth, or C) if she had her period on a Hindu holy day, she could turn into a Churel. She would always drink the vitality of young men, starting with the man she loved while she was alive, until they were old and grey.

I explained all this to Abe, who was seated to my left, while watching my half brother. Mirza was still eyeing Abe almost hungrily.

As we exited the plain, I caught his arm, letting Abe go first. Only once he was gone did I whisper to him.

"Two things, Za-za. One. He's straight, and two, he's mine." He frowned.

"Why do the cute ones always have to be straight?" He asked. I patted his shoulder.

"I don't know little brother. You'll find someone though. I just know it." I let my own serpent tail grow, tearing away my red skinny jeans.

"Damn it! Those were my favourites, too!" I sighed and jumped out of the plain, landing next to Abe. Shou fluttered down and I caught him. Not far from where we'd landed, there was a tent set up. A naga with an orange tail watched guard outside. He took notice of us as we approached. I set Shou down to walk beside me as Mirza slithered up to him.

"Princess Amirah wishes to see her father." The naga glided to the left and parted the tent flap, the three of us stepping (or slithering) inside.

"Princess Amirah?" Abe asked, whispering.

"Dad's the leader of the group. When I came to find him he recognized me as his little princess. Hence the name Amirah." I explained. He nodded, his face emotionless. There were a few other nagas in this section of the tent. Some were actually crying. I sent Shou of to comfort some of the smaller children as another naga pulled back a second flap, revealing a second room. A large naga with a long sapphire blue tail lied on a bed of lavish pillows and cushions, expensive rugs coated the floor where some of the glistening azure coils rested.

"Amirah? Is that my little princess?" He asked, his voice barley a hoarse whisper. I glided across the rugs, bending over his shriveled figure.

"It's me, _Abba_*." I told him. He took my hand.

"Thank you for coming, _Ibnah_**." He smiled. I could tell he wouldn't last the night.

"Why wouldn't I come? You're my dad." I reminded him. His lips were still curved upward.

"Because you have your mothers' spirit. She could never stay in one place for too long, but she couldn't be torn away early, either." He knew this from experience. He and my mother had split when I was about four. They were in love, but they wanted different things. When she died, I went to live with my dad until I turned sixteen.

"Don't be so sure, Abba. I think I've finally found a home." I glanced at Abe, who was standing against the wall. He looked confused and embarrassed, probably feeling out-of-place among all the snakes. I gestured for him to come forward and he did so quickly.

"Abba, this is my friend Abraham. I met him in America." Dad looked him over, his eyes judging every centimeter of his being. I held my breath.

Finally, he held out a withered hand to Abe, who took it without hesitation.

"A pleasure, Abraham. I am Rias, chief of the Betwa River tribe. I presume you've been taking good care of my daughter?" Abe looked shocked. I giggled as Shou barked from the other room, seeming to laugh along with me. I was sure that if Abe opened his mouth, he would say something he'd regret. I rolled my eyes and threw an arm around his shoulder.

"He's just a friend, Abba. Besides, I can take care of myself." I could see Abe's stormy blush rising to his cheeks. My dad gave a haughty laugh.

"I know you can, Ibnah. It's my job to worry about my little girl, though." I bent low, kissing his forehead. He looked up at me, a mixture of pure joy and agony in his eyes. I sighed, then looked at Abe.

"Call in the others. It's time."

**xX Le Timeskip Xx**

The room was filled with nagas of all ages. My brother was on my left, Abe on my right, only the three of us were allowed at his bedside.

"Mirza." He took my father's hand.

"Yes, Abba?"

"You know I've never cared for your.. Choice of lifestyle. But you are my son, and I love you. You will become chief in my absence." Mirza nodded and kissed his forehead, backing away.

"Amirah." I scooted forward, taking his hand as Mirza had done.

"Yes, Abba?"

"I don't want to tie you down to this place for the rest of your life. I only ask that you check in every now and then." He paused.

"Yes, Abba." He gestured for me to come closer. I leaned in to him and he whispered,

"You like that Abraham boy, don't you, Amirah?" I must have looked shocked, because he gave me a knowing smile. "When that boy sees what a treasure you are, you tell him he has my blessing." I smiled and shook my head. Abba was always good at reading people.

"I promise, Abba." I leaned down and kissed his forehead, then backed away.

Dad called up various members of the family. Aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews. When the smallest child, a little girl named Jaunie, kissed his forehead, my dad did something I doubt anyone had expected._ I_ certainly hadn't expected it.

"Abraham."

The room was silent for a moment before Abe strode up to his bedside and knelt beside him, taking his hand as we all had.

"Yes, Chief Rias?" My dad smiled and had him come closer, whispering something to him. He looked as shocked as I probably had, but nodded. "Yes sir." He kissed his forehead, but dad held him there for a moment, speaking loud enough for us all to hear.

"Henceforth, Abraham is an honorary member of the betwa river tribe. He will have all the rights and privileges offered to any member of the clan." Abe gestured for my brother and I to come forward. I took my fathers hand, watching the light leave his clear blue eyes. I lifted his limp hand to my face and pressed my lips to it and silently placed it on his chest. Mirza pulled the blanket over his face as I collapsed into Abe. I sobbed, but still refused to let the tears fall.

**FOOOOAH! And there you have it! I like how this went, but it made me sad at the same time. Sorry it took so long to update! ^^; **

**The names are actually summed up like this: Mirza is a name meaning 'prince', Amirah means 'princess', and Rias means 'Leader' or 'Chief'. All of these are real Arabic names.**

**And yes, Mirza is gay. Homophobes may leave the page at this time.**

*** Arabic for 'Father'**

**** Arabic for 'Daughter'**


	9. Kidnapped!

**I only own Emily, her family, and Shou**

I sat there for a long time that night, pressing my body into Abraham's arms. I let no tears fall when they lifted his body to be sunk in the river, nor did I cry when the tribe members offered me condolances, mostly because it was an out-of-body experience for me. Even when I leaned out to shake hands and hug other nagas, I never released Abe's hand _once_. At dawn, he stood next to me as they sunk the body. I was deaf to the speeches and wails of the women. It wasn't until I said goodbye to my brother that it really sunk in.

"Later, Mirza. See you in a year or two."

"You two sure you can't stick around for a while longer?"

"Sorry," I told him, giving Abe's hand a quick squeeze, "We gotta get home." Mirza smiled and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug and I returned it with equally lung-squishing strength, still refusing to let go of Abe's hand.

"I'll miss ya, sis." He told me. When we released one another, Abe held out a hand.

"It was nice meeting you, Mirza." Za-za rolled his eyes and pulled Abe into a hug.

"The feeling's mutual, big blue." He said. I could have sworn I heard him whisper "You hurt my sister and I'll rip your spine out through your ass." And if I wasn't so heartbroken at the moment, I would have died of laughter. Abe looked traumatized, but the look quickly faded as we began walking toward the chopper. Only then did I let the tears fall.

"Thanks for coming with me, Abe." He smiled lightly.

"I'm glad I came." I opened my mouth to reply, but I stopped when we were covered by a giant shadow. I looked up and there it was. A garuda was flying overhead.

Garudas, for those of you unfamiliar with this creature, is a giant bird demi-god in hindu mythology that eats nagas.

Shit.

Before anyone could move, I morphed into a cheetah and raced back to the village, quickly taking my naga form again. Nagas were slithering across the sand, too panicked to morph into anything useful. The giant birds flew around, snatching up three or four nagas each before retreating. I found my brother and got him helping me. We grabbed a few young ones who had gotten separated from there parents, hiding them in one tent and continuing with the task. It was clan policy to save the youngest if you could during these attacks.

As the last of the birds retreated, parents came to the tent to collect there children. Of all the nagas taken, seventeen had been parents, leaving eleven kids with one parent and six orphans. Altogether, twenty-three had been whisked away. After checking things out and making sure everyone was okay and those who werent were taken care of, I turned back to the chopper. The helicopter was still there, but Abe was nowhere in sight. There were no footprints indicating that he'd boarded the aircraft. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

Goddamn it.

**Sorry for the shortness, but I need to do some stuff for a friend; Besides, this looks like a good place to stop. Until next time.**


	10. The Search is On

**Yay! Update time! Sorry it's been so long; I've been working for the library for the past week. Any other time that's past, I have no excuse for.**

I called Shou and slithered back to the helicopter, directing the pilot to Mount Kailash. He complained that he was only supposed to bring us here and that the mountain I'd asked for was in Tibet, but he shut up as he noticed my death glare.

The home of the Garudas was just south west of the mountain. If Abe hadn't already been killed, that's where he would be.

**XxX With Abe XxX**

Abe could feel the giant bird's talon tighten around his torso and thighs and tried his hardest not to cry out in pain.

He had seen Emily dive back to the village just before he had been snatched up. Quietly, he prayed to every deity he had ever heard of – and there were a lot – that she was alright.

He tried to wriggle out of the massive bird's grip, but despite how much smaller he was, the avian had him and there was no escape.

Before too long, the bird landed in a valley coated in rocks of varying sizes, shapes and colors. Ever so carefully, the great eagle moved Abe between his talons and brought him to its mouth. Abe began to flail wildly as the avian did this, but as he was about to be consumed, the leg stopped moving. Tentatively, the bird sniffed him and made a sound of disgust.

'_I don't smell _that_ bad…'_ Abe thought indignantly as the creature hopped over to a ledge at the end of the valley and dangled the blue fishman above the ravine.

**XxX With Emily XxX**

The plain landed at the edge of the valley, and I could smell the flea-bitten birds as soon as I exited the aircraft. Shou followed me out and one of the birds hopped up to me, ready to make a grab for my tail, which I hadn't thought to hide.

Shou bit the giant bird, which shook him off so he flew into a rock. I felt my rage boil and I sprung up, my fist hitting his left eye. I ignored the birds' cries of pain and picked up my dog, slithering into the middle of the valley. When all eyes were on me, I spoke loudly.

"One of you carried off my friend, and I want to know who. He was tall, blue and black skin with big eyes. Any bells going off?" I turned as one Garuda with bright red wings stepped forward.

"I found a creature like this during our last meal. He smelled as though he'd gone bad, so I threw him into the ravine." The human-avian hybrid pointed to the gorge about fifty feet from my current position with his great feathers. I felt my body move quickly, wrapping my lower half around his neck and twisting it until I heard a sharp crack from underneath my scales. The birdman dropped to the ground and I flew to the edge of the valley, throwing myself into the ditch.

The air rushed passed as I grew out my wings from between my shoulder blades, spreading the blue-feathered appendages. I let myself fall, going into a death spiral a hundred meters above the bottom, my blue-and-purple bellyshirt fluttering against my skin.

The base of the chasm was covered in grey rocks and water. There were few deep parts in the river; none that I thought were deep enough to save Abe.

I unfurled my wings and floated down to the bottom of the gully, stabilizing myself on a large boulder. Shou moved in my arms, but still didn't wake. I frowned and started to call out.

"Abe! Abraham!" _Oh God, if he dies I will kill every last one of those pieces of trash in the valley._ I meant it, too. Abe was my best friend, and if he died… I don't even want to think about it. Not to mention what Liz and Red would do to me if they found out it was my fault.

It was hours before I found any trace of him; a stone with a bit of bluish-green liquid sticking to it. I didn't want to believe it was Abe's blood, but there was no other explanation for the strange sticky substance. There was a bit more up ahead, and more ahead of that. He was hurt. Badly. I could feel the tears pricking at the back of my eyes and shifted them away. Now was the worst possible time to lose my cool.

Before I could think about all the things that could happen to him, I came across a broken black ring. It was Abe's breathing apparatus. I picked it up and moved faster along the river.

There was no blood from that point on. It made sense; Abe was smart enough to head for water. But still, there were few deep parts where he could get past without walking. I groaned, collapsing to the ground in defeat. I wasn't going to find him. My tail was tired; hell, _I_ was tired, and Shou probably had a concussion. It was almost dark, and if it got cold enough, we'd both have pneumonia by morning. Slowly, fatigue got the best of me, and I let the darkness overtake me.

**Oh dear! Emily and Abe seem to be in a spot at the moment. What horrors await our heros in the next chapter! Tune in next time to find out!**


	11. Awakening

**I only own Emily and Shou. Jason is based on a different character created by someone else.**

As I blinked back into the world of the living, the first thing I noticed was a stone roof above my head; though it took me a moment to realize this was not where I had passed out. An unnatural light glowed against the ceiling as I turned to see it's source; a fire shining in the center of the room. Behind it was a tall person with long hair and skin that was literally snow-white. A single curved horn protruded from his forehead. His eyes - when I saw them - were a glistening gold. I sat up quickly and a sharp pain in my head forced me halfway back down.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, kid." His voice was gruff and sounded strangely like Red's. I took a deep breath and slowly sat back up.

"You-You're a Yaksha, aren't you?" I asked. He smirked arrogantly.

"Naga knows her stuff." His smile became sincere and he sat down, one arm resting across his knee. Shou barked, coming over and licking my cheek before returning to the place he'd clamed next to the nature spirit. I peered around the room to find Abe lying next to me.

"Abe! Oh my God, Abe." He rested in a small ditch filled with water, unconscious. His wounds were bandaged, and a damp cloth rested on his forehead.

"Your friend's in pretty rough shape, kid." The yaksha told me. I placed a hand on Abe's chest, checking his breathing and heart rate (which were fine, in case you were worried). I looked at the nature spirit.

"Thank you, for taking care of him." I said, ignoring his earlier statement, "And me." He smiled.

"No trouble. Couldn't exactly leave you passed out on the rocks, could I?" The yaksha turned out to be even more pleasant than I'd hoped for.

"My name is Emily. Emily Jansen."

"Jason. Just Jason." I smiled, talking with him for a while longer before I noticed Abe shift, his eyes opening slowly.

I felt tears well up in my eyes as Abe woke up. I picked him up out of the ditch and clutched him to me, a sense of overwhelming you my dominant emotion. "Never scare me like that again, you jerk." I told him. His arms came up around me, bringing me closer to him. This made me cry even harder. Jason helped me prop Abraham up and get him some food.

When Abe was resting again, I stepped outside to call home. Liz picked up on the first ring.

"Hullo?" She asked. She sounded as though she had been crying; that or she was just really, really tired.

"Liz?"

"Oh my God, Emily?!" I heard her yell back for Hellboy and Johan, then there was a beep as she put the phone on speaker.

"Liz, calm down, it's just me."

"Just you?! We thought you were dead!" She informed me. "Where's Abe?"

"Abe's fine! You thought we were dead?"

"The pilot said you jumped into a ravine, what were we supposed to think? How far was the fall, by the way?" I looked up at the cliffs.

"Eh, four, five stories?" I laughed at the silence, imagining the expressions on their faces.

"And Abe?"

"There's a yaksha helping him. We've been unconscious for a few days. We woke up not long ago, but he landed harder than I did and he's sleeping again."

"Wait, wait, wait," I heard Red say, "Yaksawhozawhatza?" I rolled my eyes.

"It's a Hindu nature spirit. Keep up, Red. Anywho, Abe isn't strong enough to be moved, so we're gonna hang here until he is. We should be fine until then. There was a sigh on the other end before HB spoke.

"Alright, Em. You know what you're doing." Then Liz came on the line.

"How'd things go with your dad?"

"He's dead." I said, blunt as a lead pipe. She paused.

"I'm sorry, Em."

"It's okay. Hey Liz? He welcomed Abe to the tribe."

"And that's… Good?"

"That's fantastic! I'd never seen him trust anyone that quick! Then again, Abe's easy to love." I smiled as she paused again.

"How's that going, anyway?"

"What?"

"You and him." She said. Any of you out there seen the Hunger Games? Well, she sounded just like Rue.

"WHAT?!"

"Oh come on, Emily. It's so obvious you're into him." I let myself blush, not bothering to shift it away, since neither Abraham nor Jason could see me.

"It's that obvious?" I asked.

"Is the staring, gawking, grinning, and daydreaming obvious? Hm. Yes. Has he noticed? Probably not." I let out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding. "Em, trust me; You'll know exactly what to do. It tends to work that way when you feel like you're gonna screw up." I smiled. She really was a good friend to have.

"Emily!" I looked back to see Jason in the opening to the cavern.

"Hang on!" I turned back to the phone. "Thanks, Liz, but I've gotta go. Say 'hi' to the others for Abe an' me." I didn't wait for an answer before hanging up and rushing back to the cavern.

**Okay, not a particularly long chapter, but I wanted to update before I went to bed, and ended up staying up until 2:30 in the morning. BE GRATEFUL, FUCKERS!**

**Anyway, here's a link to the site where the character Jason was based on lives. His name is Jacob and he is a Yaksha in the webcomics of the amazing Humon! Replace the DOT with an actual dot, please.**

**manalanextdoorDOTcom**


	12. Abraham's Lament

**I only own Emily and Shou**

Emily walked hurriedly back to the cavern, hearing loud coughing already. Abe was hunched in a corner, seeming to be choking on his own breath.

"Damnit, Abe! I told you not to scare me like that again'!" She yelled, sitting beside him, patting his back helplessly. Shou jumped out of hiding at the sound of her voice and began barking at Abe, as though telling him off for scaring her. She began rubbing his back soothingly. As the dryheaves became fewer and farther between, Abe's bare hands came up to rub her arm reassuringly. When the cough wore away, Emily smiled tightly. He looked up in thought.

"Emily Maryann Jansen. Born the fifth of June. Your favorite ice cream is vanilla with gummy bears on it, and you have a birth mark on your lower back that you think looks like a wolf." I gasped. Psychometric. The green-haired woman remembered the word he used when he described himself and how he couldn't read her._ I'm letting him in._ A bright smile reached her face as he released her arm and sat back down.

"I think that overgrown chicken crushed my lungs." he stated offhandedly. Emily let a breathy laugh escape her lips and sat next to him. Shou crawled as far into her lap as his size would allow. When he'd gotten so big, she didn't know, but he was about the size of a small wolf right now.

She curled up slightly against Abe's strong, lithe body and his arm automatically went around her. She looked up; he was blushing. _Why is he so cute when he's blushy?!_ She noticed something in his eyes. They were warm; warmer than when they had met. There had been heartbreak before, but wasn't as dominating now. She smiled. He noticed.

"What?"

"Your eyes. They're different now... brighter. Like you've left some of the hurt behind." he paused and, at this comment, seemed to remember back to their first conversation, when she had empathised with his sorrow.

"That reminds me. How did you know about Nuala when we met?" _So that was her name. Hm. Pretty_.

"I didn't. I saw that you'd been hurt. I just assumed it was a girl." She confessed. "A guess, but a good one."

"How did you-"

"You don't need to be psychometric to be able to read faces. Eyes, windows to the soul and all that." She quoted callously. He smirked, but said nothing. Emily snuggled into the crook of his arm, allowing herself a more comfortable sleeping position. Abe looked down at the half-naga girl and found there was a flutter in his heart.

_What was that?_ Well, that was a stupid question. He wasn't new to the beginnings of affectionate emotions. He'd had them before. And let's face it; that hadn't ended well. Emily had already fallen asleep, leaning heavily on him. Not that he minded. It was comfortable; having her there beside him. His heart was beating faster, but not uncomfortably so. Her pulse point pressed to his shoulder told him hers was as well.

He carefully picked up her hand and watched her dream. Images of a brunette woman with a kind face with her, then more with her father, flashed across his minds' eye. Some flashes of other people, then Abe recognized himself in one of the fleeting images. He was reading from his tank while Emily sat in the chair she had dragged over. This picture lingered longer than the others, a warm feeling dominated the sleeping woman's brain as she watched the memory with fondness. Another slipped into the Ichtheo Sapien's view. Emily, curled in his arms after her nightmare.

Abe blushed ever so slightly as he remembered the day; about a month after Emily had begun working with them. He'd heard her scream while passing her room, and seeing her thrashing as she was, her face contorted in pain and fear... he'd died a little.

He never had found out what she'd dreamt about. That bothered him. More than it should. Abe could hardly believe she already meant so much to him. It certainly hadn't been what he'd expected when he'd seen her in the training room six weeks ago.

Another of the dream scenes entered Abe's mind. It was the first day he'd met her, in front of the door to her room. She looked him deep in the eyes and pressed her lips to his. But then it changed; her arms went around his neck, his fingers interlacing over the small of her back. A love song played in the background. The scene melted away into a grand ballroom. Their clothes changed as well to fit the new backdrop.

Abe dropped her hand in shock. That's what she thought of him? A little strange for what women were like today, but considefring her past relationships, he couldn't be too shocked.

He looked down at the girl wound into his arm. When had she become so precious to him? It was by no means a new feeling, but it was strange all the same. Something different from the first time; different from Nuala. He didn't know what, but it was. Stronger, maybe. As he held the girl closer to him, he smiled slightly. He wouldn't lose this one. Not this time. Never.

**FOOAH! I have returned from the afterlife to bring you *drum roll* a new chapter! I will try to update faster next time. Swearsies. Also, sorry for the long seemingly pointless bits. I was in a pointless-and-drawn-out mood**.


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